Young and Beautiful
by jam2008
Summary: Kol/Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett is dead. Trapped behind the veil, she finds herself aimlessly walking the Other Side. Bonnie stumbles upon bewitched night club Afterlife where departed souls often congregate. To Bonnie's displeasure, one of Afterlife's nightly patrons is none other than sadistic and sharp-tongued Kol Mikaelson. Kennett with a hint of Beremy. Will contain mature content.
1. The Other Side

A/N: Hello fellow Kennett shippers! Okay, I cannot even put into words how much these two need to bang next season. But of course, this likely won't happen and so here I am writing a story about them. I still need to catch up on most of the fourth season (the cure, Silas) so I don't totally know what I'm talking about but eventually I'll be up to speed! 'Young and Beautiful' takes place on the Other Side. We occasionally will venture back to Mystic Falls in future chapters. Thanks for reading and please review!

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Chapter One:

The Other Side

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"_I'm going to be young and beautiful in my coffin. Don't you think that's romantic?" - _Bonnie, Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

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Bonnie could feel the pull again.

The sharp tug behind her navel that told her Jeremy was calling for her. He was persistent, she'd give him that. He had been summoning her every day since the veil had went back up. Bonnie was no longer sure how many days had passed since she was living. Time moved differently on the Other Side. There was no day and there was no night where she was; there was only her strange and suspended _existence_.

Staring off into the distance, Bonnie wondered where her Grams had disappeared to. Her Grams had collected her from Mystic Falls upon her death, the pair of them crossing to the Other Side together, hand in hand. But upon her arrival, Bonnie's Grandmother had vanished without so much as a goodbye. She had spent countless hours searching, wailing for her Grandmother, only to be met with the howling wind and overbearing silence of the wasteland that surrounded her.

Feeling Jeremy pull for her again, Bonne let out a petulant sigh, blowing a stray curl from her eyes and huddling closer to the small fire that she had conjured. She hoped that Jeremy would give up soon and let her live out her existence behind the veil in peace. He needed to move on, just as she had.

"Bonnie, I know you can hear me." Jeremy's desperate voice echoed around her suddenly. "_Please don't do this_. _Don't shut me out_." He begged her again.

Bonnie drew her knees into her chest, her face contorting as the final notes of Jeremy's sweet voice dispersed around her. She would do nearly anything for that voice. The voice that at one time would send her heart galloping, the voice that she would die for. The voice that she _had_ died for. An overbearing mixture of sadness and grief washed over Bonnie, but still she knew that she had made the right decision. Jeremy could live now, be a brother to Elena, grow old and maybe find a love that was enough for him this time. One strong enough to go beyond the world of the living and into the next realm. A love that was more like Anna's.

Closing her eyes, Bonnie allowed herself to relive her final moments, her final moments as the living and breathing, effervescent Bonnie Bennett. A moment that she had shared with Jeremy.

Jeremy had rushed towards her, certain that it was him who would be dying. Bonnie had known otherwise, however.

"There were a million things I wanted to say to you," Jeremy choked out, his beautiful face illuminated by the cave's flames. "But nothing seems quite right." He confessed vehemently.

"Then don't say anything!" Bonnie interjected passionately, crushing her lips to Jeremy's so that he could speak no further. As Jeremy's lips moved against hers, Bonnie's blood roared viciously in her ears, her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage. She found it funny that her last kiss with Jeremy had been so much like her first –fiery, consuming. And then without giving herself the chance to hesitate, Bonnie had swiftly raised the veil. As easily as pulling the drapes closed when the sun was too overbearing in the morning, Bonnie had ended her life, Jeremy's kiss still lingering on her lips. Trailing her fingers along her mouth, Bonnie could still feel the pressure of Jeremy's lips against her own.

Opening her eyes, Bonnie observed her bleak surroundings, shivering as a cool gust of wind blew past her, warbling her already dying fire. There were no colours on the Other Side, but shades instead. The cold and hard ground on which she sat was the deepest and most obsidian black she had ever seen. Tilting her head upwards towards the sky, Bonnie observed its ominous grey expanse, jumping when the deep rumble of thunder reached her ears.

A storm was coming, and fast.

Bonnie's mind easily drifted back to Mystic Falls, to its clean Virginian air, its lush green forests, and of course the family and friends that she cherished so. There would be no more father-daughter movie nights on Sunday evenings, nor would there be the second chance with her Mother that Bonnie had longed for her entire life. Bonnie would miss the twinkle that appeared in Caroline's eyes when she was up to something, the way that Matt's entire face would light up when he smiled, Elena's hugs, Jeremy's kisses. Bonnie found herself admitting that she would miss the Salvatore brothers, Stefan's heart of gold and even the makeshift alliance that she had forged with Damon, for Elena's sake of course. Bonnie could feel the panic slowly building inside of her. All of that was gone now, scattered to the winds. _Extinguished_, Bonnie thought. And with that, she waved her hand over her small fire, watching bitterly as it snuffed out.

Bonnie wondered briefly if perhaps she should have taken his hand when he offered it to her –the murderous and sharp-tongued Kol Mikaelson. Appearing on the day of her graduation, she had led him to the school's dingy boiler-room, a plan to keep him trapped there already formed in her mind. What Bonnie had not anticipated however, was for the expression that would appear on Kol's eternally youthful face –pity.

Interrupting himself, Kol's normally animated gaze flickered to the ground, observing Bonnie's lifeless body, a stunned look on his striking face. His dark eyes returned to hers, and he stared at her for a moment before speaking, the mixture of sorrow, shock, and humanity that flashed across his sharp features nearly knocking Bonnie over altogether. "_What's this_?" Kol asked softly, in a manner that she never would have deemed him capable of. To Bonnie, Kol Mikaelson had always been a more impulsive, arrogant version of Klaus. Dangerous, unpredictable, unfeeling. Yet there he was, expressing more concern and sympathy for Bonnie with a single look than some of her friends had paid her in a lifetime. Bonnie was taken aback, shaken.

"It's me." She found herself answering him. "I died last night." Then as if they had a life of their own, words began to spill from Bonnie's mouth. She found herself conveying to him her fears, her desires for the life she had been robbed off. He listened to her words, his dark expression unreadable. Was Bonnie so pathetic that she now found herself confiding in the first person to feel sorry for her? She felt ashamed, humiliated.

Kol strode towards her then, his face obscured by the room's shadows. "Then what are we waiting for?" He stretched out his hand to her, offering her his assistance, an alliance. "Let's do it, _together_." He told her earnestly, his brown eyes drilling into hers.

For a moment, for the smallest flicker of time, the temptation to remain on Earth almost overpowered Bonnie, so much that she considered joining forces with the sadistic Original vampire. She knew however that Kol was lying, manipulating her. He had thousands of years of practice with girls like Bonnie, girls that were neglected, forgotten. Kol did not care more than anyone else did about her; she was simply the means to an end for him, a powerful witch that was his only chance to live again. Bonnie trapped him then, ignoring his screams and departing from the boiler room. It had been days, yet still Bonnie was haunted by the look he had given her.

Wiping her tears away, Bonnie rose to her feet and continued to walk aimlessly, just as she had been doing since she had arrived here. Where she was going, towards what destination, she did not know.

It struck Bonnie then that it had been days since she'd last eaten, days since her last cup of morning coffee. She imagined herself biting into a burger from the Mystic Grill, the chewy texture of beef and crisp lettuce between her teeth, washed down with a sip of icy soda. Bonnie was not hungry however. Her stomach was as silent and muted as her barren surroundings. Walking onwards, she raised her hand to her heart and realized in sorrow that it too had stalled.

"Grams!" Bonnie screamed hysterically, frightened by her new knowledge, frightened by herself. "Grams!" She screamed louder. But no answer came.

A cold sheet of rain descended from the sky and pelted down onto Bonnie's shoulders. At one time in her life, Bonnie had loved the rain, loved the sound of it hitting the rooftop as she read. But since the day of her Grandmother's funeral on which it had down poured unforgivingly, she had grown to hate it. This was something that death would not change about her. Bonnie's entire body convulsed as the cool and heavy droplets soaked through the thin fabric of her graduation dress, yet she defiantly walked on. She found herself wondering how much further she would have to walk to cross over, to find peace just as Anna and her mother Pearl had. It was a thought Bonnie had entertained for the past little while –peace. As opposed to either watching her friends and family living out their lives without her or remaining on the Other Side, finding peace seemed right to Bonnie, natural.

Halting in her steps, Bonnie squinted into the distance, certain that her eyes were deceiving her. Just a few steps towards the horizon stood a majestic tree, sprouting from the coal black Earth. With its strong trunk planted firmly into the ground, the tree was thick with vibrant green leaves, its branches drooping from the weight of red Delicious apples. Bonnie dashed towards the tree, jerking to a stop in front of it. It was decidedly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen –a token from the world of the living. A delicate breeze rustled the tree's leaves, the red apple dangling closest to Bonnie welcomingly swaying from left to right. Standing on the tips of her toes, Bonnie plucked an apple from the tree and slid her thumb over its smooth skin. As if on cue, her mouth began to water.

Raising the crimson coloured apple to her mouth, Bonnie was about to sink her teeth into its flesh when something struck her. _This is too easy_, Bonnie thought to herself in suspicion. Planting her hands solidly on either side of the apple, she put use to the little trick her Grams had taught her and pried the fruit apart, gasping when she saw that its inside was completely black.

"_Eugh_!" Bonnie exclaimed in disgust, letting both sides of the apple fall to the ground. Her mind began to race. What would have happened to her if she had eaten it? Bonnie decided that she would rather not know, narrowing her eyes in concentration instead. Moments later, the tree was engulfed with fire, orange and red flames licking at its branches. Continuing on her trek, Bonnie glanced over her shoulder to watch the tree burn, pleased that no other innocent soul would be coming across it while on their journey.

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A/N: Not too much occurred here, but I hope this gives you a bit of a feel in terms of the 'Other Side'! Chapter 2 is already written and will include our first glimpse of the strange night club 'Afterlife'. If you all are good to me, I may end up posting it tonight (hehe)! Thanks so much for reading and let me know how you're liking everything so far!


	2. Afterlife

A/N: OMG you are all FLAWLESS! Thank you so much for your amazing reviews (even the person who referred to Bonnie as Elena's slave (wot))! To **Ice Moon 14** I also liked that little scene involving Jeremy and Bonnie! I thought it was very important to show that not everyone had given up on her yet and like her self-sacrificing self, Bonnie would give her life for Jeremy's. To **evicarstairs** I too am a sucker for EVERYTHANG Kennett like can they just stop being so shippable! Your theory involving grams is great but I think we may be taking a different direction in YB (that I hope you'll like hehe)! **Madelines**, I'm so glad you enjoyed our glimpse of the Other Side and Bonnie's thoughts! I was worried it might be too 'thoughty' for the lack of a better word, but thank you so much! **LivingandBreathingWords** thank you so much for your kind words! I know right I'm not even mad because now Bonnie/Kol can make sweet love on the other side! Also thank you to **leox1214, ElenaVictoria, Stacie, delenawolves, MaloryArcher**! xo

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Chapter Two:

Afterlife

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"_To die, to sleep -_

_To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,_

_For in this sleep of death what dreams may come..._"

- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

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"_What_?" Bonnie breathed to herself. Were her ears deceiving her?

Freezing in place, Bonnie swore that she could hear the distinct sound of music in the distance. Tilting her head to the side, she held her breath, and sure enough the discernible _unst-unst-unst _of bass reverberated in her ears.

Not giving a thought as to what exactly was producing this music; Bonnie broke into a desperate sprint, thinking that whatever it was must certainly be better than her current predicament. Pumping her arms and gasping for air, Bonnie dashed across the black dirt of the Other Side, hopeful tears springing to her eyes. Grams, or Jenna, or Alaric even. Bonnie's heart swelled at the thought of seeing any of them again, and she ran faster.

Pumping her arms robotically, the music grew louder with each stride. "_Please_." Bonnie gasped for air, and at last the distinct structure of a small building appeared in her line of sight, as well as a series of colourful flashing lights. To Bonnie's disbelief, there was the unmistakable sight of _people _congregating outside of this mysterious building, crowding under a large tarp to avoid the rain. Bonnie at last had reached her destination, the various men and women in line to enter not bothering to spare her a glance. She noticed that they were dressed quite well for having died in the clothes they were wearing. At the mouth of the building Bonnie observed a man. He was large in stature, with a heavy beard and shaved head. It struck her then that this man was acting as some sort of security, like a bouncer at a club. And with this Bonnie found herself looking up, squinting through the rain the large and overbearing sign perched over the building.

In a delicate and swooping neon script, the sign read 'Afterlife Nightclub'.

"_Oh my God_." Bonnie whispered to herself in astonishment, looking around wildly as she felt herself drifting towards the lineup. Could it be? A night club smack in the middle of the Other Side?

"First time?" A gentle voice beckoned from behind her. Hesitantly glancing over her shoulder, Bonnie saw that there was a blonde haired boy smiling at her. The boy had warm brown eyes and didn't look to be much older than she was. He too was soaked from the rain.

"Yeah, it is." Bonnie answered with a sniff, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. The line-up had moved substantially, and Bonnie was quickly approaching the front.

The boy smiled wider. "I had a feeling. What are you in here for…?" He trailed off, gesturing towards her and silently requesting her name.

"Bonnie." She answered fluidly, still in a somewhat daze. "I sort of killed myself." She admitted, astonished that she was even having this conversation at all. It was true to a degree, and either way Bonnie didn't exactly want to get into the details. "You?" She inquired, curious as to what exactly had caused the death of this young and attractive boy.

"Todd." He answered warmly, extending his hand outwards to her. "Texting and driving for me. Pretty stupid, I know." He said with a self-deprecating smile.

Bonnie smiled sadly, taking his hand and shaking it. "Everyone makes mistakes, Todd." She told him, wondering what goals Todd had in his life, wondering if his family missed him as much as he assuredly missed them.

"Next!" The gruff voice of the Afterlife's bouncer called out. Snapping her head back, Bonnie swallowed hard and hesitantly made her way towards the bouncer. He was even more menacing up-close, heavy set eyebrows bordering a pair of unnervingly blue eyes. Glancing down at the bouncer's nametag, Bonnie was not surprised when she saw that it read "Blue".

"Pulse, please." Blue requested in a deep baritone grumble.

Bonnie corked an eyebrow upwards. "I'm sorry, my what?" She inquired, unsure if she had heard him correctly. Had he actually just asked for her pulse?

"_Beginner_…" Blue muttered to himself with a heavy roll of his eyes, launching into what was likely an intricately rehearsed spiel. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it is with great regret that I must inform you of your untimely death. You have succumbed to illness, homicide, natural disaster, and/or some form of accident and have crossed over to the next realm, or as the locals like to call it the "Other Side". Blue told her flatly, forming a set of quotation marks with his hands. Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, thinking that she should stop Blue from continuing, but decided to let him speak further in case there was something that she did not yet know.

"Afterlife Nightclub is not responsible for the decisions you make or for any further damnation that you commit on your soul while on the premises. If you could please show me your wrist." Blue concluded, taking a long and well deserved breath.

_Further damnation_? Was this guy serious? Extending her wrist to Blue, Bonnie's mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour. This was the last thing she _ever_ would have expected from death. Hopefully, she thought, somebody inside would be able to tell her what the hell was going on. If she was lucky, they could even assist her in finding Grams.

Blue reached down with his large hand, placing two fingers firmly against the inside of her wrist. "All set." He told her after a moment, evidently satisfied with the silence of Bonnie's heart. "Have a nice night." And with that Blue waved Bonnie towards the entrance.

Stumbling forward, Bonnie hesitantly made her way into the darkness of Afterlife, wondering what she had gotten herself into. What would her friends say if they could see her now? Would they pity her? Would they be too busy with college preparations to even spare her a thought?

"Will you be checking any of your morals with us tonight?" A pixie-like girl inquired excitedly from the booth to Bonnie's right. "We accept guilt, loyalty, and everything in-between!" She informed Bonnie with equal fervor.

Bonnie stared at the girl in astonishment, finally managing to shake her head politely. "No thanks." She declined graciously, wondering what happenings inside of Afterlife would warrant the coat-checking of one's morals. "Do I just go right in?" She asked the girl with an unsure smile, somewhat regretting her decision to enter Afterlife at all. It was a bit of a sensory over-load for Bonnie, having seen nothing but miles and miles of wasteland for the past few weeks. She anticipated that the inside would not be much better.

"Yes Ma'am!" She said, the girl's Southern twang shining through this time. "Don't have too much fun!" She called after Bonnie.

"_I'll try not to_…" Bonnie trailed off nervously.

And with that Bonnie made her way past the heavy black curtains and into an ocean of moving bodies, letting out a gasp as her heart suddenly sprung to life, thunderously slamming against her ribcage. Clutching her chest, Bonnie began to cough viciously, her heart at last slowing down to a regular pace. She was alive again. Bonnie looked around wildly, trying to see if anyone else was as shocked as she was. The men and women of various ages and ethnicities chattered and laughed away, unaware of Bonnie's revelation. As her blood began to course through her veins, Bonnie could feel the very human urges of thirst and hunger begin to overcome her. She needed something to drink, and fast. Pushing through the crowd, she made her way towards the bar, shrugging off a series of men on her way.

The music at Afterlife was very modern, electronic and heavily bassed whereas the decor was comparable to a roaring 20's speakeasy. Bonnie approached the bar, squeezing her way between two middle-aged men. "Water, please!" She begged the bartender, certain that she was about to pass out from dehydration.

"Coming right up!" The bartender replied. Plucking up a glass from below the bar and placing it front of Bonnie, he generously filled her glass to the brim with ice-cold water.

Snatching up the glass, Bonnie hungrily gulped it down, slamming in back onto the counter.

"Well, well, well." An amused voice with a clipped British accent drawled from behind her. "If it isn't the wicked witch of the west."

Painstakingly slow, Bonnie turned around, already wearing her deadliest stare. With a drink in hand, standing no further than a few inches away from her was a smirking Kol Mikaelson, looking quite like he did on the day of her graduation –flawless, _dangerous_.

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A/N: Welcome to 'Afterlife' night club! The idea came to me in a dream and as soon as I was up I was writing like mad! I've sort of figured out more as to where this story is headed in terms of the whole who will be our major antagonist/big bad evil person and what not so that's super exciting! I'm so sorry that the Kol/Bonnie interaction in this chapter was sickeningly limited but 'Chapter Three' which I'm almost done writing is ALL KENNETT, ALL OF IT! And basically from now on it's going to be KENNET KENNETT KENNET so brace yourselves ladies (and gents). Anyways, thanks so much for reading and reviewing and let me know if you guys like the personal responses I did at the beginning or if it's annoying! LOVE YOU ALL! xo


	3. We All Have Our Demons

A/N: SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE PERF IN EVERY WAY (HEART)! Thank you all SO much for your amazing feedback! Last chapter, Kol finally had his entrance and here he is again (for the entire chapter) in his annoyingly sexy form! **Jordanjanellejoy**, thank you so much for your compliments and I could not agree more with what you said regarding Bonnie! I truly hope one day that she gets the storyline and love she deserves! **MaloryArcher **LOL I'm so glad you liked that! I'm a sucker for all things legal and just love slipping things like that into my fics hehe! Thanks so much for your review! **SteVie'SGirL** I love me some Kennett too and expect some Jeremy soon! **Madelines** OMG you are making me blush! I'm absolutely in love with that Lana Del Rey song it's so hauntingly beautiful and totally reminded me of Kennett! The 'Other Side' is for all souls including humans as well! Todd is a human and hopefully we'll see more of him in the future! Thanks so much for your kind words babe and thanks to everyone else who left some love! Now without further adieu, chapter three!

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Chapter Three:

We All Have Our Demons

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"_Fear not death for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal_." - Benjamin Franklin

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Bonnie was at a loss for words, blinking stupidly at the Original vampire. His handsome face startled her just as it had the very first time she saw him, playful brown eyes and tousled brown hair that seemed incapable of taming. Kol's dark eyes appraised her, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Bonnie noticed that he was not wearing the clothes that he had died in, but instead donned a crisp black tuxedo. Once again, the look he had given her on the night of her graduation invaded Bonnie's thoughts, the look of sorrow that had momentarily flashed across his perfect features. Kol knocked back the remainder of his drink, clunking the empty glass onto the bar top. She _hated_ this, hated that Kol's was the only familiar face she had seen in days, and especially hated the strange sense of comfort and relief she felt now that she was in his presence. Clearing her throat, Bonnie straightened her spine, regaining her composure.

"I need to talk to you." Bonnie spoke loudly over the music, thinking that he might be able to explain to her what exactly this place was, and perhaps even assist her in locating Grams. She doubted Kol would help her even if he could, but it was worth trying. "_Alone_." She emphasized, glancing around the bustling club. Grams had always told her that walls had ears, and it was a belief that Bonnie had since lived by.

Kol let out a laugh. "I'm not so sure about that, Bennett." Kol snorted. "The last time I found myself alone in a room with you, I was sentenced to death for the _second_ time. So you can see why I'm rather opposed to the idea." He concluded, waving down the bartender for another drink. "Scotch, neat." He slurred, turning back to give Bonnie his patented arrogant smile.

Bonnie flinched. It was painfully obvious that Kol was wasted. Bonnie didn't entirely blame him, however. At this point, it seemed like a tempting idea to her as well. Coming to the terms of death was not exactly an easy thing to do, especially when it was your own. An idea struck Bonnie suddenly, and she fought the smile that threatened to appear on her lips. Besides any sort of alcohol, Kol had another weakness that Bonnie had become aware of over the past few months –women. And at the end of the day, _Bonnie_ was a woman.

Appealing to the inherent womanizer inside of Kol, Bonnie leaned forward, accentuating the curve of her breasts. Kol's brown eyes flickered down to her chest, his smile faltering. "There's not much more I can do to you, Kol." A ghost of a smile appeared on Bonnie's full lips. "We're both already dead, after all." She gazed at him, batting her dark lashes.

Bonnie could see Kol's pupils dilate, and subconsciously he licked his lips. Kol retained his smirk when he realized that he had let it slip. "_Fine_. I'll play your game, little witch." He cooed, draining the rest of his scotch and sliding the glass onto the counter. "Come with me." He smiled, disappearing into the shadows and leaving Bonnie to follow him, if she dared.

Bonnie followed Kol down a darkened hallway and away from the Afterlife's bustling crowd. Bonnie's heart thudded erratically in her chest, and she began to think that this was a bad idea. Kol stopped in front of what appeared to be a private booth, shielded by heavy red drapes. Pulling back the curtains, he chivalrously waved her inside. "After you." He quipped, a playful smile on his lips.

Averting Kol's penetrating gaze, Bonnie swallowed hard and entered the dimly lit booth. The interior of the booth was antiquated, with deep red walls, a low hanging chandelier, and velvet upholstered seats. Glancing suspiciously over her shoulder, Bonnie made her way to one of the vacant seats.

Allowing for the weighty drapes to fall shut behind him, Kol gracefully perched on the seat across from Bonnie and began to study her with great interest. "What can I do for you, darling?" Kol began ceremoniously after a moment, training his brown eyes on Bonnie and folding his hands neatly in front of him.

Bonnie observed him in silence, recalling the first time she had ever seen Kol Mikaelson. She had just entered the hallway after having met with Professor Shane, absentmindedly juggling an amulet in her hands. And then she had seen him, sauntering down the hallway with an air of confidence that Bonnie found intriguing, his dancing brown eyes on her and a smile on his lips. Once again, Bonnie had been disarmed with one look. This incredibly attractive boy was looking at _her_ –not Caroline or Elena, but her. Of course, it had been a ruse, just like it normally turned out to be when any boy pursued Bonnie. Other than Jeremy of course, but then again, she couldn't say that had ended much better.

"What is this place?" Bonnie inquired, maintaining an all-business attitude. No matter how _glad_ she was –for the lack of a better word –to see Kol, she did not want to give him the wrong impression. They were _not_ friends. They were a witch and a vampire who just happened to be thrown together by a twist of fate. Natural born enemies in life, and the same in death.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Kol teased. "Bewitched by your kind to mimic real life. It doesn't hold a candle to New Orleans mind you, but the dead can't exactly be fickle about things, can they?" He shrugged, looking rather disappointed at the whole ordeal.

Bonnie grew irritated at Kol's nonchalance, her blood beginning to boil. "The witches would _never_ do something like this! It's an abomination!" Bonnie hissed. She refused to believe that the witches would ever be a part of something as wrongful as this was. It defeated the purpose of death _entirely_.

Kol began to laugh. "I'm an abomination as well, but here I sit." He countered with a playful raise of his eyebrows. "Everything has a price, little witch. And the demons that run this place are able to pay it." He informed her with a curious smile.

Bonnie's blood ran cold. "…_Demons_?" She breathed, trying her best not to betray her emotions to Kol. She had read in her grimoire that dark beings sometimes frequented Purgatory, but that the witches took it upon themselves to keep them in line or contained in where they belonged –Hell. What had compelled the witches to allow for an establishment such as Afterlife to exist at all? A cool shiver ran up Bonnie's spine at the thought alone.

At this, Kol pulled back the red drapes that concealed the booth in which they sat. "See that man over there?" Kol inquired, discreetly pointing to a balcony located high above the dance floor. There sat a middle-aged man, passively watching over the crowd of souls, his face devoid of all expression. Bonnie observed that the man was average in every way possible. He was slim and balding, a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched upon the bridge of his nose.

"Yes." Bonnie nodded, at which Kol allowed the drapes to fall back into place, the man no longer visible behind the heavy red fabric.

"A demon." Kol informed her, studying her from beneath his dark lashes. "They look just like we do, but they're a little meaner I'm afraid." He said, a smile reappearing on his lips.

Bonnie swallowed hard, once again maintaining her composure. She did not want him to know that this frightened her. Just because Kol was the only person Bonnie knew for miles did not mean that she could trust him. "There is no _"we"_, Kol." Bonnie quoted him, defiantly folding her arms across her chest and reminding not only Kol, but herself as well that they were _not_ friends.

Kol's normally warm brown eyes began to blaze, a tight smile appearing on his lips. "You know," Kol began with a whisper, leaning forward in his seat. "I should sever that pretty little head of yours from your neck for what you did to me." He told her with a raise of his dark eyebrows.

Kol was unnervingly close to her, so close that Bonnie had nowhere to look but into his ochre coloured eyes, the colour of soil after a heavy rain. It was wrong, but Bonnie could not help but stare, allowing her eyes to travel along Kol's strong jaw line and then to his full lips. Without warning, the look that Kol had given her materialized in her mind, and disturbingly, she felt herself craving to see it again. Quickly, Bonnie averted her eyes, resting them on the table and banishing his stupid look from her mind. Dying had quite obviously rendered her _insane_. "Go ahead," Bonnie spoke up in a small voice. "Everything that mattered to me is gone anyways."

Daring a glance at him, she saw that Kol's brown eyes were narrowed at her in thought. "You miss them," He observed in disbelief, an amused smile appearing on his lips. "The humans." He appeared to be perplexed, surprised even. Had he expected her not to?

"_Of course_." Bonnie retorted with a scoff. "Just like I'm sure you miss your family." She replied automatically, instantly regretting her decision when Kol's jaw clenched up. Bonnie had forgotten that Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah had been an instrumental part of his death.

Kol's eyes drifted to the table, trailing along the deep lines carved into the mahogany. "…I'm sure they rejoiced when they found out I was dead…" He said flatly, sounding much more like a boy than he probably intended to, his brown eyes still trained on the table.

Bonnie observed Kol in silence, realizing in horror that she might pity him in return. This was something that she did not like, not one bit. "Has my Grandmother come in here before?" Bonnie blurted out in an attempt to change the topic, unable to withstand the miserable look on Kol's face for a second longer. Her mind didn't seem to work very well in his presence, and so she vowed to be out of Afterlife and away from Kol as soon as she could.

Kol's eyes returned to hers, his trademarked smirk reappearing on his lips. "No." Kol shook his head, his dark brown hair falling into his eyes. "I've only had the pleasure of dealing with one irritating witch since being murdered, and unfortunately that's you." He spat, leaning back in his seat and averting her gaze.

"How do you know so much about this place anyways?" Bonnie found herself studying his handsome face. Kol knew that the club was owned and operated by Demons and magicked by the Witches to imitate real life. But more importantly, _why_ did he know this?

Kol returned his dark gaze to Bonnie's. "I _work_ here of course." He told her, a boyish grin appearing on his lips. "As a club promoter. A bit menial considering I'm more educated than this entire lot can ever hope to be, but you know me." Kol's glorious smile grew, his eyes sweeping over Bonnie. "_I'll_ _take what I can get_."

Bonnie could feel her cheeks begin to burn, involuntarily of course. She needed to leave, _now_. "I should go." She sputtered. About to excuse herself from Kol's company, as if it was on cue, Bonnie's stomach launched into a series of loud rumbling. The hunger plaguing Bonnie since the minute she walked into Afterlife had at last gotten the best of her. _Shit_, Bonnie cursed inwardly. Glancing at Kol in a mixture of horror and mortification, she saw that he wore an amused smile.

"How rude of me." Kol apologized, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. "You're starved, and _soaking wet_ apparently." He observed with an innocent smile.

Bonnie could feel her face burn further. "I'm fine, really!" Bonnie exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She was determined to leave and most of all, determined to get as far away from Kol as was humanely possible. Just then, the drapes to the private booth were pushed to the side.

In came a tall man with a head of gossamer blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked perfectly normal to Bonnie, with one exception however –his skin was tinted green. Bonnie stupidly blinked at the man, at a loss for words.

"Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to stare, darling?" Kol jibed with a roll of his eyes. Bonnie whipped her head towards him, wordlessly requesting an explanation which of course, he did not provide.

"You called, Mr. Mikaelson?" The green man inquired.

"Brin," Kol began ceremoniously, "Something to eat for my friend here," Glancing at Bonnie and allowing his eyes to flow over her figure. She was suddenly conscious of the way the wet fabric of her graduation dress clung to her body. Frowning, she clasped her arms over her chest. "And perhaps a change of clothes." He added.

"I told you I was _fine_!" Bonnie growled, her teeth clenched.

Kol simply smiled, stroking his chin and assessing Bonnie further. "Red," He decided. "Definitely red." And with that Brin closed his eyes, clapping his hands together once.

Bonnie stared at the green man incredulously. "_What the fu_-" She began, only to be interrupted when the air was pushed from her lungs, a tight red dress replacing the one that she had been wearing and a steaming plate of spaghetti landing in front of her. "_Argh_!" Bonnie let out a strangled cry when she noticed that her breasts had been squeezed together, nearly spilling out of the fire engine red dress.

A gleeful smile appeared on Kol's lips, and he nodded his head in approval. "Well done, Brin. Remind me to promote you." He told the green man who with a nod of his head, bowed out of the booth.

Bonnie gasped, wanting to tear the dress off but realizing that her graduation dress was nowhere to be seen. "Kol!" Bonnie roared, her fists clenched at her sides. "_Change it back now_!" She screamed. Kol was just asking for an aneurysm, and quite frankly Bonnie was more than happy to provide it.

Kol gave her an innocent smile. "But this one is _so_ much more flattering?" He shrugged, reaching into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and retrieving a pocket watch. "I should be getting back." He told Bonnie with a playful smirk. "This was nice." And with that he breezed out of the booth, the curtains swinging shut behind him.

Letting out a screech, Bonnie bulldozed through the curtains and saw Kol's tuxedo clad frame trekking further down the brick hallway, hands tucked into his pockets. "Kol!" She screamed, and before she knew it she was pressed up against the brick wall. Kol's chest against Bonnie's, his knee having edged her legs apart ever so slightly. His tousled hair fell into his smoldering brown eyes, a seductive smirk appearing on his lips. Kol's head was tilted to the side ever so slightly, and for the first time ever, she knew what it must feel like to be a vampire's prey. Bonnie's heart was pounding in her ears, her green eyes wide with fear.

Sickeningly slow, Kol lifted his hand, trailing his fingers along the bare skin of Bonnie's arm and leaving a trail of gooseflesh in their wake. Bonnie stared at Kol, hating him for the reactions he brought out in her, but mostly hating herself for not being able to help them.

"Heart racing," Kol began quietly, brown eyes flickering to hers and then back to her body, his super-human hearing easily detecting the galloping of Bonnie's heart. "Blood rushing to all the _right_ places," He continued with a cheeky smile, his fingers grazing along the swell of her right breast. "It's like we never died at all." He whispered into Bonnie's ear.

And with that Kol was walking away from her, hands shoved back into his pockets. "Until next time, little witch." He said with a boyish grin, disappearing into the darkness.

Letting out the breath she had been holding in, Bonnie leaned her head against the brick wall, thinking that to her disbelief, her death had already been much more exciting than her life ever was.

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A/N: Thanks so much for reading! How do you like Kol so far? Would you guys say he's in character? I watched about 83458 videos to refresh my memory in regards to his glaringly arrogant/self-absorbed/adorable/hilarious personality and hope that he shone across as he normally does! I do feel like we had a bit more insight into how he feels about his family which we don't always get to see on the show! Anyways, expect a bit of a visit to Mystic Falls in chapter four! Until then my loves, thanks for reading!


	4. There's More to Death

A/N: I'M BACK! Sorry for the lateness of this chapter my loves, I was under the weather for the last few days and it was keeping me from writing! ANYWAYS, I cannot even put into words how FABULOUS AND PERF you ALL are! Like let me love you ALL! Thank you so much for your amazing reviews! Check out the 'responses' area at the end of the chapter for my responses to all of your lovely comments! XO LOVE YOU!

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Chapter Four:

There's More to Death

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"_Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see_." - Helen Keller

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"Come on Matty, you know this." Bonnie said, feeling a smile tugging at her lips when she saw Matt's blonde eyebrows furrow together.

Narrowing his blue eyes in concentration, Matt brought the Mystic Falls Daily right up to his nose and studied the clue for the final word of the Sunday crossword puzzle. For as long as Bonnie had known him, Matt had taken it upon himself to complete it each week. Matt's reasoning for this was that as a football player and athlete, it was important for him to have a stellar vocabulary to impress not only college scouts, but those who assumed he was stupid.

A pit formed in Bonnie's stomach when she remembered that she wasn't the only one whose dreams of college had been derailed. Matt had given up on his future following the death of his sister Vicki and the abandonment of his Mother. Little did Matt know that he could also add Bonnie to his list of lost loved ones.

Matt began muttering to himself, breaking his focus momentarily to indulge in a sip of black coffee. Bonnie made a mental note to order one if she ever decided to venture to Afterlife again. But of course, that would likely involve running into impulsive Kol Mikaelson, and she wasn't sure that a cup of coffee was worth the risk. Bonne's face burned as she recalled Kol's knowing smirk as she squirmed beneath his touch, his dark eyes drilling into hers.

"_It's like we never died at all_." Kol's hoarse voice whispered into Bonnie's ear. Frantically shaking her head, Bonnie wiped her mind clean of the Original vampire and rested her chin on Matt's shoulder, deciding to make herself useful.

"Six across," Bonnie examined the ten empty boxes, her eyes flickering to the word's definition at the bottom of the page, purposely skirting over the day's date. To Bonnie's chagrin, September was quickly approaching. She pushed that from her mind as well, deciding that she would ignore the looming date of September the 1st for as long as she possibly could. "Displaying a play of lustrous colours, like those of a rainbow…" Bonnie recited the definition, wracking her mind for the word when at last it clicked.

"_Ah, what is it_..." Matt growled to himself in irritation, his fists tightly clenching the sides of the Mystic Falls Daily.

Bonnie glanced at Matt's face, her smile growing at a far-off memory. "It was the way the lake looked two summers ago when the sun hit it, remember? We were lifeguarding and you said you had never seen the lake look so…" She prompted even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

A full minute passed before Bonnie gave in and whispered, "Iridescent!" into Matt's ear.

Seconds later, a victorious smile appeared on Matt's face and he let out a triumphant whoop. Smacking the crossword onto the coffee table, he furiously scribbled in the letters to the final word '_iridescent_'.

Bonnie grinned widely thinking that maybe, he could hear her after all.

"Yes!" Matt pumped his fist in victory, tossing his pen onto the table as well. "…Maybe I should be going to college…" He trailed off with a funny smile, glancing over his shoulder when the front door to the Lockwood mansion slammed. "Jer is that you?" Matt yelled, leaning over the sofa.

"_No_!" Bonnie let out a terrified gasp. She had lost track of time. Lunging from the sofa, it was just as Jeremy rounded the corner into the Lockwood's extravagant drawing room. Jeremy dropped his backpack onto the ground with a loud thud, his brown eyes shooting open when he caught sight of her. "_Bonnie_?!" He exclaimed in disbelief, forgetting entirely about Matt's presence in the room.

An odd look appeared on Matt's face. "What?" He inquired, confusedly glancing around the expanse of the room to see what Jeremy was looking at.

In a frenzy, Bonnie dashed into the dining room, taking a sharp right into the foyer just as Jeremy shot around the corner as well, attempting to cut her off before she had the chance to flee. Part of Bonnie wanted to stop, to throw herself into Jeremy's arms, but instead she kept running. She did not belong here any longer, and most of all, she did not belong with Jeremy. Closing her eyes, Bonnie threw herself through the front door of the mansion, her body seamlessly emerging on to the porch. Chest heaving, Bonnie had no time to marvel at what she had just done and instead leaped down the steps of the porch, sprinting to the side of the house. Gasping for air, Bonnie slammed her back against the wooden tiles just as the front door of the Lockwood mansion flew open.

Crouching down, Bonnie peeked around the side of the house, unable to deny herself a longer look at Jeremy. It had been too long since she last saw him, his warm brown eyes, his bright smile. She let out a long sigh, her entire body aching at the sight of the boy that she had always pegged to be her true love.

"Bonnie!" Jeremy screamed, running down the porch steps. "Bonnie!" He yelled again, frantically looking around the front yard. At last Jeremy allowed his face to fall into his hands in defeat.

Bonnie felt her lower lip tremble as she gazed upon him. She wondered if he had had trouble readjusting to life again, wondered if he struggled with the weight of her secret. Perhaps avoiding Jeremy was wrong, but in that moment, Bonnie felt too weak to face him.

"Jer?" Matt's materialized on the porch, dashing down the steps to where Jeremy stood on the front lawn. "Are you okay, man?" He asked in concern, placing a hand on his back.

Jeremy lifted his face from his hands. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said flatly, shrugging off Matt's arm and walking back towards the porch steps.

Bonnie observed Matt as he watched Jeremy's retreating back, his blue eyes narrowed in thought. "You yelled Bonnie's name." Matt assessed, to which Jeremy instantly froze in the wide doorway. Bonnie watched on in horror, certain that Matt was on to them. If her heart was capable of beating, it assuredly would have stopped in that moment.

Immobilized for a few moments, Jeremy at last turned around to face Matt, a deprecating smile on his lips. "Yeah, I just miss her, that's all." He said, in a way Bonnie felt was more to her than to Matt. "This whole living again thing isn't exactly easy." Jeremy was still covering for her, but how long would that last?

A sad smile appeared on Matt's lips, and Bonnie watched as he jogged up the steps towards Jeremy. "She'll be back from her Mom's place soon, Jer." Matt said in the big-brotherly tone he normally reserved for Jeremy. "And you've been doing great. We're all proud of how you've handled everything, _especially_ Elena." Matt emphasized.

Jeremy nodded his head, taking one final sweeping glance over the front yard. At this, Bonnie concealed herself behind the side of the house further, holding her breath until she heard the door of the Lockwood mansion slam shut. Bonnie allowed for a full minute to pass before pushing off from the side of the mansion, crashing through the intricate landscaping until she reached the safety of the sidewalk. Walking along, Bonnie took in the morning, happy that she had allowed herself the luxury of visiting Matt. Matt had been a safe choice, whereas the thought alone of visiting Elena, Caroline, her Father, or Jeremy threatened to leave Bonnie in a state of complete mental-breakdown.

Bonnie smiled absentmindedly as a cool breeze blew past her, delicately rustling the leaves of the trees lining the sidewalk. Bonnie had always loved when she could feel hints of the approaching fall time nearing the end of August –from cooler nights to the browning of leaves, Bonnie had loved it all. To her, the new school year had always meant seconds chances, be it with grades, family, or friends. Now however, all it did was leave a bitter taste in Bonnie's mouth.

"Do they shed tears for you?" A voice spoke up suddenly, causing Bonnie to jump.

Snapping her head to the left, Bonnie saw that casually leaning against one of the trees was Kol, hands tucked into his pockets, wearing a curious smile and watching her. Bonnie noticed that Kol was no longer clad in a tuxedo, but instead wore a long-sleeved black shirt and blue jeans. His thick brown hair was the same uncontrollable mess as it normally was, falling haphazardly into his animated eyes.

"They don't know I'm dead." Bonnie deadpanned and resumed walking, more quickly than before. She considered forcing Kol to have Brin change her back into her grad dress, but decided against it when she realized it would involve a longer conversation. What Jeremy must have thought, seeing her dressed the way she was.

"Astounding!" Kol kicked off from against the tree, falling into step behind Bonnie. "You are so self-sacrificing you even spare them grief?" He inquired in disbelief, like he had never heard of such a thing before. But then again, Kol did originate from one of the most dysfunctional families Bonnie had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Glancing over her shoulder, Bonnie saw that Kol's dark brown eyes were curiously drifting from the bare skin of her arms and along her waist, only to end up resting on her behind. At this, Bonnie's foot caught a groove in the sidewalk, almost sending her toppling over entirely. Kol's smile grew, as if he was in on some private joke that Bonnie was not privy to. "What are you, stalking me now?" She snapped, regaining her footing.

"Ha!" Kol announced, throwing his head back in a mocking laugh. "Don't flatter yourself; I was simply in the neighbourhood." He informed her. To Bonnie's displeasure, Kol was beside her now, the pair of them walking along the Mystic Falls sidewalk. From beneath her lashes, Bonnie observed Kol. He was at least a foot taller than her if not more, with fittingly darker features than his brothers and sister. Bonnie decided that Kol's face was pleasant to look at when he wasn't trying to kill her, but perhaps not as pleasant as it looked on the night of her graduation. Sensing her gaze, Kol's dark eyes met with hers, his lips turning upwards. He had caught her staring. Averting her eyes, Bonnie glued them to the concrete of the sidewalk.

"They're in New Orleans, you know." Bonnie offered nonchalantly, knowing that the only reason Kol would bother to return to Mystic Falls would be to see his family.

Kol's expression grew cold, his jaw clenching. "_I am well aware, thank you very much_." He remarked sourly.

Turning right, Bonnie shivered as she and Kol crossed over to the Other Side once again. The barrenness of their surroundings was even more overwhelming following the magnificence of Mystic Falls. Aside from the looming stress of a rapidly approaching September the 1st, Bonnie's stomach fell when she remembered that her Grams was still missing. Perhaps she would have better luck asking around at Afterlife that night. Glancing at Kol, she saw that he was kicking around a small black rock, juggling it between his feet like a soccer ball, his dark eyes screwed up in concentration.

With nothing but the backdrop of the Other Side and its perpetual blackness, Bonnie could not help but notice how colourful Kol looked against it; from the pink of his lips to the earthy hue of his dark eyes to the creamy expanse of his forearms, Bonnie was certain that she had never seen anything as vibrant as he was right then.

Bonnie's face began to flush at her less than sane thoughts. "Don't you have somewhere else to be right now?" Bonnie snapped, not bothering to hide the petulance in her voice. She was beginning to grow quite irritated with Kol's recent appearances in her life, if she could even call it that.

"Not really." Kol shook his head, looking up from his feet to give her a brilliant smile. "And either way there isn't exactly an abundance of things to do around here." He quipped with a sweeping gesture of their surroundings, continuing to kick the rock. "I get bored _very_ easily, if you didn't notice." He added, smirking to himself.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "_I noticed_." She hissed at him, lurching forward when the familiar pull of Jeremy materialized behind her belly button. _Oh no_, she thought frantically.

"Bonnie!" Jeremy's stern voice emerged from the grey sky. "Come back here right now!"

Kol's dark head shot towards the sky, his eyes wide with surprise. Suddenly he was looking at Bonnie, his expression unreadable. Bonnie began to panic, her eyes wide with horror as she too looked toward the grey sky.

Jeremy continued, his voice thick with emotion. "I get that you don't want to see me, but this is important! Elena and Caroline are wondering why they haven't heard from you yet and I can't keep lying to them. You need to tell them what happened." Jeremy said, pausing to heave out a breath. "And if you don't, _I will_." He concluded.

And as quickly as it had appeared, Jeremy's voice had vanished. Feeling her face contort, Bonnie let out a strangled sob, a mixture of fear, guilt, and sorrow hitting her all at once. She dropped her hand into her hands, gasping for air as sobs wracked her small frame. What was she to do? Grams was gone, her friends didn't know that she was dead, and the only person she had to talk to was _Kol Mikaelson_. Bonnie began to sob harder at the last of her thoughts. Looking up to gasp for air, she saw that Kol was standing no more than a few inches away from her, the same look of pity that Bonnie both despised and yearned for etched on his face. She stared at him in bewilderment.

Kol was observing her with great interest, appearing to be both confused and astonished at her reaction to Jeremy's voice. "You're crying." Kol assessed after a moment, his head tilted to the side and his dark eyes searching Bonnie's face. Bonnie simply stared at him, words failing her completely as tears continued to spill from her eyes. "I've forgotten what it's like to cry." He said, suddenly reaching out to touch one of Bonnie's tears, his fingers grazing her skin. She took a sharp intake of breath at the contact; reminded of how pleasant it was –to be touched by another person.

Before she had time to question herself, Bonnie was giving Kol an aneurism, wiping the look of pity and sorrow from his face entirely and replacing it with agony. Bonnie's chest was heaving, every inch of her skin exploding with energy as the magic coursed through her veins. Kol let out a strangled cry, falling to his knees and collapsing onto the black soil. And as quickly as she had reacted, Bonnie ceased her spell, staring at Kol in horror. _What had she done_? Kol was moaning in pain, his brown eyes suddenly shooting open and landing on Bonnie.

"_I'm sorry_!" Bonnie breathed weakly, feeling the panic rise in her throat. Dying was _not_ supposed to be this hard. It was supposed to be easy and peaceful. Yet here she was, spinning out of control more than she had ever had before. Taking a step forward to help Kol, Bonnie stopped herself. She shouldn't want to help him; in fact, she shouldn't be near him at _all_. Spinning on her heel, she quickly began to walk away from him, refusing the urge to cry again.

Bonnie could hear Kol struggle to his feet, a pained groan eliciting from the back of his throat. "I _really_ hate when you do that!" He called after Bonnie sourly.

Halting in her steps, Bonnie slowly turned around to glance at Kol, expecting him to lunge for her jugular. Instead she saw that he was still staring at her, chest heaving with his dark eyes narrowed in thought, an unreadable expression on his face. She stared back at Kol, wondering why he had not yet attacked her. Bonnie willed herself to move again, but found that she could not move. Why couldn't she allow herself to run from him? And worst of all, why didn't she want to? A cool breeze blew past them, pushing Bonnie's dark hair past her shoulders.

Suddenly, Kol was walking towards her, a determined look in his eyes. "Why do you choose to stay here?" He demanded harshly, his dark eyebrows in a hard line. "To make yourself suffer further?" He presumed, attempting to comprehend her reasoning. He was circling her then, sizing her up as a lion would its prey. "Tell me, witch!" He ordered.

Bonnie let out a scoff, truly wondering if the aneurism she had given him permanently damaged something important. "Is there somewhere else I'm supposed to go?" Bonnie laughed, taking a glance around the expanse of black land, watching as Kol halted directly in front of her.

Kol peered down at her, a look of amusement appearing on his lips. "Hasn't anyone told you?" Kol whispered, as if he was sharing a secret with her. Kol leaned forward then, his lips a few inches from Bonnie's ear. She froze in place, her eyes shooting open. "Death is what you _make it_, Bonnie." He concluded. And suddenly, before Bonnie could process the fact that he had uttered her name for the first time, they were no longer standing in the emptiness of the Other Side, but instead found themselves in a forest that was buzzing with life.

Shocked, Bonnie stumbled backwards, falling to the ground with a thud. Standing above her, Kol began to laugh brightly, his head surrounded by a canopy of trees. This was a true laugh, Bonnie realized, Kol's brown eyes squinted together and nose scrunched up. Bonnie gaped at him, more astounded at his laughter than at the magnificence of her surroundings. Emerging from her trance, Bonnie glanced down at her hands when she realized that she could feel the warmth of sunlight on her skin. "Oh my God." Bonnie breathed, looking up at Kol in shock.

Kol smiled, offering his hand to her. "I had a similar reaction the first time." He teased.

Glancing at Kol's outstretched hand skeptically, Bonnie realized that this was the second time the Original vampire had offered her his help. Swallowing hard, she placed her hand in his, surprised at the warmth of his skin. Once Kol had heaved her upwards, Bonnie at once retracted her hand, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't understand!" Bonnie said emphatically, scanning her eyes across the forest. They were surrounded by ancient trees, the singing of birds and other wildlife echoing around them, as well as what appeared to be…running water? Glancing behind her, Bonnie's jaw dropped when she saw that a stream with clear, fresh water was roaring behind them.

Bonnie turned back to him, her green eyes wide. Kol looked rather pleased with himself, an amused smile still etched on his lips. "The Other Side, it's supposed to be a wasteland!" Bonnie shrieked, demanding some sort of answer from him.

Kol stared at her, his dark eyes deep in thought. "Only if you want it to be. He said, taking a step towards her and eyeing her suspiciously. "Why is it that you don't fear me, Bonnie?" Kol inquired, continuing to approach her. "Impulsive, murderous Kol Mikaelson." Kol began eloquently, his hair falling into his blazing eyes.

Bonnie began to step backwards, her back pressing up against the rough bark of a tree.

Kol went on. "There are many reasons you should," He was directly in front of her then, towering over Bonnie and his eyes drilling into hers. "So why don't you?" He demanded, his teeth clenched.

Bonnie straightened her spine, narrowing her eyes at Kol. "You didn't scare me when we were alive, and you certainly don't scare me now!" She spat hatefully. But of course Bonnie was lying. Kol had always scared her, especially when she he was making sense. Yes, she had sided against him when it came to retrieving the cure from Silas, but only because it had been for Elena. In the end, if all of them had listened to Kol, Jeremy would never have died –_she_ never would have died. Bonnie swallowed hard, looking back at Kol with all the courage and bravery she could muster.

Kol smirked. "Well, it appears I've lost my edge." He jested, suddenly wrapping his hand around Bonnie's throat and pinning her to the tree.

Bonnie could feel herself beginning to choke, her hands flying to Kol's wrist. "Let go of me!" She screamed viciously, thrashing around beneath his grip.

Kol leaned forward until his face was inches from Bonnie's, his dark eyes peering into hers hatefully. "If you know what's good for you witch, you won't be gracing Afterlife with your presence _ever_ again." He growled, shaking with anger and tightening his grip around her neck. "And if you do, you'll have _me_ to answer to." He threatened, releasing Bonnie from his grasp.

Launching into a fit of coughing, Bonnie collapsed against the tree, seeing that Kol had vanished completely. Gasping for air, she knew that her suspicions had been correct. Kol was hiding something, and Bonnie would not rest until she found out _exactly_ what it was.

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**A/N**: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY SWEETS! I'm really glad that most of you are saying Kol is in character YAY! To me at least, he seems to be a super complicated and layered individual! How about Bonnie?! Would you guys say she's pretty similar to how she is in the show?! I always find third person hard to get emotions across so I hope it's working out alright in terms of Bonnie! Now for a special surprise, the next chapter will be HALF **KOL's P.O.V** and half Bonnie! Jhjkdfgjkg! And also, we will be returning to Afterlife again (my fave) and we will also be seeing Todd again! Now I take back what I said before about Todd being human because at the time, I still didn't know the Other Side was strictly for supernaturals! I will be addressing this next chapter! Thanks again for reading and to all who leave lovely and kind words! Xo

**Responses**: **MaloryArcher**, jkhjkfgjkfg thank you so much my dear! I'm glad you're liking Kol as much as I love writing him! He is a very complex and sort of bi-polar individual. I really want him to be both confused and angry with how Bonnie makes him feel and don't want him to be instantly sappy which would be unbelievable! Thanks so much! Fallen Witch Angel, thanks so much love! Afterlife is my favourite thing to write about in this story and OMFG you are absolutely correct Kol was TOTALLY checking out Bonnie! **ElenaVictoria** thanks so much hun! Glad you're liking Kol and Afterlife! I also hate when people make him sappy, in reality, it would take a lot for him to ever get to that point! **Delenawolves** omg thanks so much babe! You're totally right, I'm going to be going back to chapter 3 to fix that error! **SteVie'SGirL** thank you SO much babe! I'm so relieved Kol was…well Kol so far hehe!** Lexie**, KOL IS SO HOT, AMEN BB! I also wish they had given Kennett a chance on the show, but with Bonnie hater JP in charge I highly doubt we will! **Cookiejar**, thanks so much babe! **Guest**, thank you whoever you are my love! **fic-philic'chick** OMG thank you SO much love! I absolutely adore how Afterlife is coming along and you're totally bang on when you say it's like an oasis in the desert! Also, there will DEFINITELY be more steamy Kennett scenes in coming chapters, maybe even…dare I say…minor smut? Jkdhfgjkhdfgjk! **SpringOfMay** thanks so much bb! **PoisonLavender** OMG your review made me blush! Jfdkgjkhfg! Thank you so much love! Once you go Kennett you never go back! Thank you so much for reading! **Fallendarkangel693 **OMG thank you SO much love! Tons of sexy/maybe even loving Kol coming up in further chapters! **372259 **thank you SO much love! Lots more boyish/arrogant/generally hawt Kol coming in future chapters! Thanks so much everyone! xo


	5. A Deal with the Devil

A/N: Hello, hello my lovely readers! I hope that you all had a fabulous week! I'm so sorry I didn't end up having this chapter finished by the weekend like I intended, but better late than never I suppose hehe! So, before you delve into Chapter Five, one very important piece of information that you must know is that the events written in **Kol's P.O.V take place during Chapter 1: The Other Side**! I am going to be putting up the chapter right away so I will be adding in my responses to all of your AMAZING, PERFECT, FLAWLESS reviews at the Author's note located at the very bottom in a few minutes! Two additional notes, the lyrics that appear in this chapter are original so no rules have been broken! However, the song that I did imagine playing (when the lyrics appear) is Emele Sande's rendition of Beyonce's Crazy in Love which appears in the Great Gatsby! Check it out as you read or when you conclude the chapter! XO XO

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Chapter Five:

A Deal with the Devil

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_Death - the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening_. - Walter Scott

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Kol watched the little witch from afar, taking extra precaution to stay out of her line of sight. She looked to be deep in thought as her tiny and unassuming frame made its way across the Other Side's desolate black land. Kol squinted his dark eyes against a cruel gust of wind, noting that the witch wore the same dress she had died in, the very same dress she had been clad in when Kol was faced with her lifeless body. He began to tremble, recalling the strange emotions that had taken hold of him when he was met with the sight of the little Bennett witch, unmoving, cold, _dead_. It had bothered him greatly, seeing what had become of her, the end that she had faced in spite of all her power and all her goodness, so much that the mask he worked so hard to maintain had momentarily slipped. Kol recalled the horrified expression that had appeared on his face and grew disgusted at how weak he had been.

Kol let out a quiet scoff, thinking that sense, logic, and even selflessness to some degree hadn't exactly left him in a better position than her. They were both dead, with no one paying them a second thought. This was what happened to people like them, Kol mused sardonically, to people who put others before themselves. Kol had gone against them all –Nik and Bekeh even, to ensure that Silas would not be raised. He was even prepared to kill the Bennett witch, regardless of the fleeting interest that he had in her. Kol clenched his teeth, cursing his siblings for betraying him and cursing his luck altogether.

Momentarily stepping out from his hiding place of a large black boulder, Kol clenched his fists, an internal struggle began to wage inside of him. Once again, Bonnie Bennett's life was balanced in his hands, or at least the future of her soul was.

Just when he was certain that the Other Side had driven him completely mad, Kol had stumbled upon Afterlife night club. There, the demon who called himself Balthazar had taken Kol under his wing, guaranteeing him passage back to Earth in exchange for his services. Kol had been told to do two simple things: firstly, to steer any wandering souls that he came across towards Afterlife, and secondly, to bring Balthazar the coveted Bennett witches, Sheila and her granddaughter Bonnie if he had the good fortune of running into them. Kol had jumped at the opportunity, wanting nothing more than eternal suffering for the witch and what she had done to him. Yet there he stood immobilized, with little Bonnie Bennett, his ticket back to Earth, no more than a few meters away. Why could he not harm her?

"_Pathetic_." Kol spat quietly, berating himself for his weakness.

What was it about her that intrigued him so? Distantly following behind her, Kol observed Bonnie as she walked, attempting to deconstruct his captivation with her. The girl was powerful beyond measure, Kol conceded in his mind. He had always respected the power of witches, but as an Original had never truly considered them a threat. This changed considerably when Bonnie had him on his knees in the hallway of Mystic Falls High, screaming in agony. Kol flinched at the memory, wishing that his first encounter with the witch had gone differently and hadn't involved them both trying to kill each other.

Bonnie tilted her dark head towards the grey clouds, her black hair tumbling over her tanned shoulders. Just then, a heavy sheet of rain descended from the sky, instantly soaking the both of them. The witch was attractive, Kol supposed, in an unassuming way. He allowed his gaze to travel over Bonnie's small frame, her shapely legs and slim waist that trailed into a pair of notable hips, only accentuated by the wet fabric of her dress. Her beauty was unique, Kol decided, something that he had always valued more than the common looks of the various strumpets who had lined up for him. The witch's eyes, Kol admitted to himself, were decidedly mesmerizing. Their particular shade of green had always been a favourite of his, reminding him of better and simpler times in his long life. On the occasions that her fearful eyes had bored into his, Kol simply froze, unable to move, and unable to kill. Her insufferable loyalty to her friends and the youngest Gilbert, however, was what sickened him the most. _Look where being a pathetic martyr has gotten her_! Kol thought to himself, gritting his teeth together. She was dead, and no better off than he was.

Drawn from his train of thoughts, Kol's stomach plummeted when he saw that Bonnie was approaching the apple tree that the demons had warned him to stay away from. They had paid him no explanation except for stressing that under no circumstance, should he eat from the fruit growing on the mangled branches of the tree. Kol's eyes shot open, a horrified expression appearing on his face as Bonnie plucked a blood red apple, cradling it in her hands. Was he to warn her? Kol's face contorted, the struggle between keeping the witch safe or providing her to the demons waging on in his mind. Bonnie raised the apple to her lips, and without thinking, Kol took a desperate step forward.

Suddenly, Bonnie was pulling the apple from her lips, her bright green eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lunging behind the nearest boulder, Kol watched on as Bonnie pried the sides of the apple apart, letting out a disgusted sound at its black flesh. Dropping both sides to the dark soil, Bonnie walked on, a wave of relief washing over Kol as he watched her retreating back. Moments later, the insidious tree was engulfed in flames, an impressed smirk appearing on Kol's lips at Bonnie's display of arson. Stepping out from his hiding place once again, Kol watched as Bonnie disappeared into the rain, thinking that even death would not grant him reprieve from her.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Kol found himself standing in the forest he had created, the agitation from his run-in with the little witch subsiding. He had let her go, _for now_, Kol told himself, and could easily find Bonnie again when he changed his mind. What the demons didn't know wouldn't hurt them, and in spite of his disgust at the particular…_fondness_ he felt towards her, would not harm the witch either for the time being.

Heaving out an irritated groan, Kol made his way across the moist Earth and towards the running stream. Kol found that this place was the only thing that brought him peace, the only thing that had prevented him from descending into complete madness. Never in a thousand years would Kol have imagined a place like this to exist, but as Balthazar had told him, death too had its secrets.

Listening to the pleasant singing of the birds nested high up in the trees, Kol crouched down in front of the stream, scrutinizing his reflection in the glassy water. He was eternally twenty, just as he had been for the past thousand years. Kol's reflection was unchanging, yet it was the restlessness and purposelessness inside of him that had continued to brew and fester. For a thousand years he had wandered, traveling to all four corners of the globe. Half the time Kol had been running from his father, and the other half of the time from his siblings, usually finding himself in the company of witches.

Haiti, Africa, New Orleans, Kol had always found himself gravitating towards witches. It was strange that he thought so highly of them, when taking into account that they were meant to be enemies –vampires and witches. Observing his youthful countenance, at the back of his mind, Kol knew the reason for it. Witches were meant to protect Earth and humanity, something that he had always fiercely believed in, despite his own identity as an abomination. For Kol, the world had always held his chance for a true existence, one not tainted by the eternal life that had been thrust upon him. If humanity died, if the world died, so did Kol's chance at redemption, at finding his purpose.

He knew what the witch's purpose had been, however –to sacrifice herself until there had been nothing left of her to give.

"_Bonnie Bennett_." Kol whispered to himself after a moment, wondering what spell she had cast to plague his mind so. Finding that he could no longer look at himself, Kol splashed his face with water, temporarily refreshed until he sensed a presence behind him.

In a flash, he whirled around, his dark eyebrows rising in disbelief at the woman standing before him –the older Bennett witch. They were making this all too easy for him.

"Hello, Mr. Mikaelson." Sheila Bennett greeted him slowly, a pointed smile on her lips.

Kol disguised his surprise for amusement. "They're looking for you, you know." He smiled threateningly, narrowing his eyes at the old woman. Kol could sense the older witch's power from where he stood by the stream, waves of it lapping across the panes of his body. The Bennett witch looked strong for her ripe age, youthful even, her deep brown skin lustrous against the white gown she wore.

The witch's smile grew. "I am well aware."

Kol eyed her suspiciously. "You would give yourself to the demons so easily?" He mused. "I thought it was in your type to fight until the bitter end?" He inquired, wondering why Bonnie was not with her. Kol's stomach panged when he realized that perhaps the older witch had left Bonnie for the demons in order to save her own skin. The idea wasn't a far-fetched one to Kol. It was something his own family had done to him on more than one occasion before.

"I am here with a proposition, Kol." Sheila continued with a knowing smile, tossing aside all formality.

"Are you?" Kol began to chuckle after a moment, a dangerous grin finding his lips. "Please, humour me witch." Kol observed the older Bennett, noticing the shared traits between she and Bonnie –both of them were proud looking with a turned up nose. Bonnie had not inherited her striking eyes from her Grandmother, however. Those were her own entirely.

"I have cast a glamour spell on Bonnie." Sheila began ceremoniously, taking a sweeping glance of Kol's haven, observing the trees and the stream that he had created. "No one except for you can see her true form."

Kol's jaw clenched, a tight smile on his lips. He did not trust the witch, and he certainly did not trust the sound of this so-called proposition. "Now why would you do something like that?" He inquired after a beat, contemplating whether he should summon Balthazar or not.

Sheila began to pace, approaching a tree and running her hand over its rough bark. Kol watched her as she did this, his dark eyes scrutinizing her every movement. "I want you to watch over Bonnie." Sheila said, casting her knowing gaze on Kol. "And keep her away from the demons." She added.

Kol stared at the witch in astonishment, unable to fathom her words. "You actually think I'd help her?" Kol exclaimed in anger. "She and her bratty little friends are the reason I'm _dead_!" Kol screamed, his chest heaving. The witch was mad if she thought he'd ever help Bonnie Bennett. A small and irritating voice in Kol's mind however, reminded him that he already had.

Sheila crossed her arms across her chest, giving Kol an amused smile. "You admire Bonnie." She said, as if he was some sort of love-sick schoolboy with a crush.

At this, heat licked at the back of Kol's neck. "So what if I do?" Kol inquired with a smile, wondering if the older witch had heard him utter her granddaughter's name when she arrived. "I admire many people." Kol countered, beginning to approach the witch. She did not flinch at his advance, eliciting a growl from the back of Kol's throat.

"Enough to not hand her over to Balthazar and his minions when you had the chance." Sheila shot back with a demure raise of her eyebrows.

Kol refused the urge to flinch. The witch had been spying on him. "_Still_ not a good enough reason." Kol spat manically, continuing to saunter towards her, yet still she did not move an inch.

"You see yourself in Bonnie." Sheila revealed, her tone not mocking or unkind, but instead empathetic. She spoke to Kol as if she understood him, as if she was his friend.

Kol froze in his steps, unable to do anything but stare at the witch. He felt his face contort, his body beginning to vibrate with anger. "_What did you say_?" Kol breathed, his dark eyes blazing.

Sheila began to speak quickly, passionately. "You are both outcasts, unloved, hurt by the ones you care for most-" Sheila was unable to continue her sentence, her words morphing into a pained cry. Kol had closed the distance between them and began to strangle her with all his might, nearly lifting her off the ground in his frenzy. "Don't test me, witch!" He screamed, feeling the familiar smattering of black veins appear on his face. "I will gladly supply you to the demons!" He threatened, tossing her to the forest floor.

Chest heaving, Kol stared at the frail witch, his mind racing. Was what the witch said true? Lifting her face from the ground, Sheila stared back at him, her stubborn gaze unwavering. Baring his teeth, Kol let out an agitated growl, knowing that she had won. "If I do as you say, witch," Kol began menacingly. "What's in it for me?"

Slowly rising to her feet, the older Bennett witch stood to her full height, her white dress muddied by the soil. "I can guarantee you the same thing the demons did," She began. "Safe passage back to Earth." She informed Kol. "If you help Bonnie and I, the demons will remain here –where they _belong_," She paused. "And will not be able to harm our world." She enticed him boldly.

Kol's eyes shot to her face at this statement. She _knew_, the witch knew _everything_. A gentle breeze made its way through the trees, Kol's unruly hair falling into his eyes.

"Will you help us, Kol?" Sheila asked. "Will you help _Bonnie_?" She emphasized her granddaughter's name.

Something stirred within Kol at the utterance of Bonnie's name, and he found himself swallowing hard. "Fine witch, I'll bite." He raised his eyebrows, giving her a threatening smile to mask his discomfort. "But if it comes down to it, and it's between her and me," He said, his eyes narrowing hatefully. "It'll be _me_." He emphasized, jabbing his chest.

A tight smile appeared on Sheila's lips. "So be it." She said, and as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone, leaving Kol with nothing but himself, the forest he had created, and his reflection.

* * *

There was a new spring of determination in Bonnie's step when Afterlife became visible in the distance. After countless hours, Bonnie had finally found her way out of the woods Kol had shown to her. Since then, she had been on a nonstop warpath towards her destination, not having stopped for even a minute of rest. Walking as quickly as her towering red heels would allow, Bonnie trudged across the Other Side's dry black ground and towards the bustling exterior of death's newest hot spot. Once again, a sizable crowd had formed outside of the club, the numerous men and women dressed in their very best for the night's coming festivities. As Bonnie approached the line-up, she grew uncomfortable at the uninvited stares a few men paid her. Not having received the same amount of attention on her very first visit to Afterlife, Bonnie knew that the skin-tight fire engine red dress, courtesy of Brin and Kol Mikaelson was decidedly to blame. Bonnie smiled to herself when she remembered that she had an aneurism reserved specifically for the Original vampire.

Sliding behind a young couple, Bonnie could not help but allow her mind to drift back to her latest encounter with the eternally youthful Kol Mikaelson, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he knew much more than he was letting on when it came to Afterlife. Kol had caught Bonnie by surprise in Mystic Falls following her visit with Matt and disastrous run-in with Jeremy. Accompanying her back to the Other Side, Kol looked on as Bonnie found herself in the midst of a break-down brought on by Jeremy's attempt to speak to her. Unbeknownst to Bonnie, Kol had crept up to her and was once again giving her _that_ look, the one that had haunted her since the first time she'd seen it appear on the Original's striking face.

"_What is wrong with me_?" Bonnie whispered to herself, wondering why anything to do with Kol had the power to move her at all. Absentmindedly running her fingers over her cheek, Bonnie recalled the surprise she felt at Kol's gentle touch. Frightened by her own thoughts, Bonnie let her hand fall to her side. Her constant run-ins with Kol were not out of the goodness of his heart, nor were they a coincidence. They were on purpose. Kol Mikaelson _always_ had an ulterior motive, and this was something Bonnie would have to keep telling herself.

Closing her eyes, Jeremy's face drifted into Bonnie's mind, in particular, the smile he had given her on their first "date". Bonnie wasn't sure if she could quite call it a date even now, what with all the reservations she had at the time in dating Elena's younger brother. But Bonnie, being the center of attention for the suddenly mature and undeniably attractive Jeremy Gilbert had given in to his persistence and found herself as drawn to him as he was to her. In no time, she was hopelessly in love with the youngest Gilbert. And they had been happy, or so she thought they had been. Like every other time however, Bonnie simply had not been enough –forgettable and plain when Anna had come back into the picture. With the first of September just around the corner, Bonnie knew that she could not avoid Jeremy for much longer.

"_Move it_!" An agitated voice spat from behind her, rudely drawing Bonnie from her thoughts. Glancing over her shoulder, Bonnie saw a young red headed girl; likely no more than sixteen, was baring her teeth.

Turning her head, Bonnie saw that a bouncer that wasn't Blue was patiently waiting for her at the entrance to Afterlife, an amused smile on his lips. Stumbling forward, Bonnie timidly observed him, noticing that he too was eying her rather lewdly. The man was tall, with black hair, eyes, and almost impossibly pale skin.

When Bonnie reached him, she offered her wrist, attempting to avoid eye contact. "Sorry about that." She mumbled out an apology, glancing at the man from below her lashes to see that his black eyes were still scrutinizing her body. Bonnie began to squirm under his gaze.

"Not a problem, my lady." The man grinned, roughly taking her wrist and pressing two cold fingers against her vein. "You are new here? I would recognize such a beautiful face if I had seen it before." He licked his pale lips, giving her a disconcerting smile that revealed a set of unnaturally sharp teeth.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the man. His accent was nothing like she'd heard before, nor had she ever seen anyone that looked quite like he did. Bonnie's eyes flickered down to the man's black dress shirt, searching for a name tag but finding none. "It's my second time." Bonnie answered abruptly, attempting to retrieve her wrist, panic rising in her throat when he did not let go.

Bonnie looked up at the nameless man, seeing that he wore the same disturbing smile as before. "You will dance with me when I am finished here?" He inquired, gripping Bonnie's wrist even tighter.

Bonnie ripped her wrist from the man's hand. "_I don't dance_." She hissed.

Anger flashed across the man's pale face but quickly dispersed. "As you wish, my lady." He drawled with a tight smile, narrowing his black and soulless eyes. The strange man lifted the red rope, allowing Bonnie to pass by him. As she entered the sanctuary of Afterlife, she could still feel the man's black eyes glued to her retreating back. Refusing the urge to shiver, Bonnie saw the familiar face of the hyper coat-check girl and smiled. The girl was leaning out of her booth, letting out an excited gasp when she saw Bonnie. "Cute dress!" She squeaked in delight. "You finally going to bite the bullet and check a moral or two tonight?" She winked. "_Everyone_ does it, you know." The girl whispered scandalously.

Part of Bonnie was tempted, to perhaps cash in her regret and doubt, to allow herself to try the one thing she never had the chance to in real life. A hot blush appeared on Bonnie's cheeks. At times, she had felt unattractive, unworthy due to her status as a virgin throughout all of high school. But Bonnie had stubbornly wanted to wait for the right person; for the type of love she read about in books. For a short time, Bonnie had thought that person was Jeremy. But here she was now, dead and short of one important life experience.

"I'll pass." Bonnie declined with a smile, still thankful that the girl had been kind enough to ask despite her obvious aversion to the idea. If the girl kept asking however, there was a huge chance that one day when Bonnie was in the midst of a psychotic episode; she might jump at the opportunity and end up checking _all_ her morals. "Have a good night!" She threw over her shoulder, stepping past the curtains and into the deep red and black décor of Afterlife, barely able to see due to the lack of proper lighting.

"Don't have _too_ much fun!" Bonnie could hear the coat-check girl called after her.

As Bonnie had expected, her heart exploded to life, beating at a speed that most doctors would label as tachycardia. As her heart eventually settled down to a normal rate, Bonnie began to think that she probably would never get used to the strange sensation, which was odd considering she'd had a beating heart for her whole life.

Before making her way into the crowd, Bonnie glanced over her shoulder, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw that the strange bouncer had not followed her inside. Scanning her eyes across the bustling crowd, Bonnie failed to see the smug countenance of Kol Mikaelson. Ignoring the odd tug of disappointment she felt at Kol's absence, Bonnie began to make her approach towards the bar, unable to stop herself from stealing a glance towards the grand booth overlooking Afterlife. As she expected, the middle-aged man who Kol revealed to be a demon sat passively, watching over the crowd just as he had been the time before. Suddenly, the man's unfeeling eyes flickered towards hers, Bonnie stealthily shifting her gaze towards the concrete floor, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Continuing on her way and not daring another glance towards the man, Bonnie decided that it was of the utmost importance to find out how this demon had convinced the witches to work for him; but first and foremost, she needed to find her _Grams_.

Halting in her steps, Bonnie noted that there was something different about Afterlife that night. Attempting to put her finger on what exactly had changed about the 20s inspired club, Bonnie's thoughts were interrupted when a deep voice spoke up from behind her. "Good evening, friend of Kol." The baritone voice beckoned, so softly that she barely heard it over the lively jazz music that had just begun to play.

Turning in surprise, Bonnie came face to face with the towering figure of Brin, the strange supernatural with green skin that worked for Kol. Bonnie could not help but smile, feeling rather bad for Brin who looked very out of place in his surroundings. Taking the time to observe Brin this time, Bonnie began to wrack her brain, wondering what exactly he was. Brin wore a pair of loose fitting white pants and was otherwise naked, his green chest littered with an array of swooping black tattoos that Bonnie could not discern.

"Hello, Brin." Bonnie answered happily, remembered that she had hoped to run into him. "Do you remember that old dress of mine? The one I wore on my first night here?" She inquired over the blaring of the trumpets. Her graduation dress was much more modest than the poor excuse for a dress that Kol had forced her into, not to mention far easier to move about the Other Side in.

Brin nodded his blonde head, an odd smile appearing on his pale green lips. "I remember it." He said, an amused undercurrent to his voice.

A wave of relief washed over Bonnie. "Is there any way I could get it back?" She pleaded, wanting so badly to not worry about one body part or another flying loose from the red dress or about creepy men hitting on her like the new bouncer had. Bonnie wanted to maintain her dignity, even in death. "Not that this one isn't nice, because it is. It's just-" Bonnie began awkwardly, attempting to find the right words to describe her reservations.

"The men stare at you." Brin answered easily, sparing Bonnie the embarrassment of explaining. "This is what Kol intended." He realized, seeming to have come to this conclusion for the first time.

Mortified, Bonnie too had come to the same conclusion, her face beginning to burn. "Kol would do _anything _in his power to humiliate me." She managed with a strained smile, mentally setting aside a second aneurism for the Original. Bonnie wasn't the type to get pushed around, especially by the likes of Kol Mikaelson. If that was true however, what in the world had possessed her to stop hurting him the last time? Bonnie remembered –the sickening feeling that had churned in her stomach when Kol began to scream in agony. Perhaps, Bonnie reasoned, it had been a temporary lapse of judgment or the result of having just seen Jeremy.

"I will be a part of it no longer." Brin assured Bonnie, shaking his head of gossamer hair. "Kol saw to it that your old dress could not be retrieved," Brin began sadly, Bonnie's hopes beginning to fall. "So instead I shall conjure you a new one." He added with a smile.

With no chance to celebrate, the air was pushed from Bonnie's lungs for a second time. Glancing down at herself, Bonnie sighed in awe. Brin had selected a deep blue long sleeved dress, and had even had the foresight to give her a pair of thick black stockings and knee-high boots. Nights on the Other Side were unbearably cold, and so Bonnie was certain that this new outfit of hers would fare much better than her last dress had.

"This is amazing Brin!" Bonnie gushed, thinking that this dress was a worthy replacement for the one she wore during her graduation. "Thank you!"

Brin smiled, the widest she had seen him smile yet. "It matches with your eyes." Brin informed her matter-of-factly, his eyes twinkling magically.

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Bonnie found herself looking down again at the dress, wondering how its navy blue fabric at all matched with her green eyes. Looking back up to ask him what he meant, Bonnie saw that Brin had vanished into the crowd, the unique green of his skin and mop of blonde hair nowhere in sight.

"_Weird_." Bonnie said to herself, thinking that perhaps Brin had been mistaken. Continuing to plow through the crowd, Bonnie saw that on the far side of the dance floor, a low stage had been erected. She also realized what had struck her as different about the club that night when she first entered –its music. The first night Bonnie had visited Afterlife; the music had been electronic, highly infused with drums and synthesizers. This night however, true to its décor, Afterlife had fully immersed itself in the Jazz age, the chords of the next sultry tune ringing throughout the club's expanse. In the very center of the stage stood a girl around Bonnie's age, with dark skin, black hair, and full lips that were painted a smoldering red. Donning a white flapper inspired dress; the girl's hand was clutched around a microphone. Behind her, the band's tempo picked up, a chorus of trumpets and a lone saxophone joining in.

The girl began to sing, her voice deep and soulful:

_I get so crazy when I look in your eyes baby, baby_

_Think it's time you and I go wild maybe, maybe_

_Just when I think I'm free of you, you_

_You go and look at me with those baby blues_

Mesmerized by the girl's voice, Bonnie barely noticed someone calling her name from a far. Pulled from her trance, Bonnie saw that Todd, the boy she had met on her first night at Afterlife, was making his way over to her. Todd was just as handsome as the first time Bonnie had seen him, a wide grin already in place when he reached her.

"Bonnie!" Todd greeted her enthusiastically, successfully maneuvering around a pair of girls with two drinks balanced in his hands.

"Todd!" Bonnie announced, unable to stop herself from smiling at the appearance of the first friend she had made since dying. "Is that for me?" Bonnie grinned playfully, gesturing to the fruity looking drink clutched in Todd's left hand. Bonnie tried her best not to notice how handsome he looked, clad in a navy blue dress shirt and black dress pants, his blonde hair pushed back out of his blue eyes. Bonnie smiled privately to herself when she realized that they matched.

"That obvious, huh?" Todd smiled, handing Bonnie the drink. "I tried to find you once I got in. Where did you end up running off to?"

"Thanks!" Bonnie said gratefully, trying her best not to flinch as she recalled her time with Kol Mikaelson in the confined quarters of a private booth. "I got held up with an old friend actually." Bonnie lied easily, taking a hungry sip from her drink.

Todd nodded, taking a sip from his drink as well. "An old _boyfriend_?" He inquired, attempting to maintain an air of nonchalance.

Bonnie let out a snort, laughing much harder than the joke called for. "Kol Mikaelson" and "boyfriend" simply did _not _belong in the same sentence. "_Definitely not_." Bonnie assured Todd with an additional snort, draining the last bit of her drink.

"Well good." Todd grinned shyly, taking his and Bonnie's empty glasses and placing them on the tray of a passing waitress. "I'm not letting you out of my sight this time." He winked. "Would you care to dance, Bonnie?" Todd said, offering her his hand with a goofy grin. Suddenly an intruding image of Kol offering her his hand flashed in her mind, once on the day of graduation, and the second time in the forest he had shown her.

Wiping all traces of his irritating Earth coloured eyes from her mind, Bonnie thrust her hand into Todd's. "I would love to." She smiled.

_I'm drowning in your love_

_I'm drowning in your love_

_Lo-ve_

_Lo-ve_

Todd spun Bonnie around, pulling her into his chest. She could not help but giggle, the alcohol having gone right to her head. "I meant to ask you before," Bonnie spoke into Todd's ear. "What sort of supernatural are you?" She inquired. "Feel free to ignore me if the question is too personal." Bonnie added hurriedly.

"You won't believe it," Todd slurred, letting out a laugh. "But one of my ancestors was a fairy! A big green fairy, can you believe it? When I died, the little bit of fairy I have floating around in my blood ended me up here!" Todd exclaimed over the music. "I guess it does explain my olive-toned skin though…" He added as an afterthought, eliciting a laugh from Bonnie who finally knew exactly what the mysterious Brin was.

Leaning her head on Todd's chest, Bonnie glanced towards the stage, her eyes shooting open when she noticed a pair of shackled chains around the young singer's ankles. The girl's pleading brown eyes caught Bonnie's, silently begging for help. At last Bonnie could feel it, the familiar tug she had felt when crossing paths with her cousin Lucy at the Lockwood mansion, when she had touched Luka's shoulder at the Mystic Grill. The girl was a witch, and she was being held captive by the demons. _It all makes sense_ _now_! Bonnie's mind began to race; Afterlife, the demons, _everything_. When Bonnie glanced down at the girl's ankles, to her shock, they had disappeared.

"What about you?" Todd inquired, curious as to what Bonnie's supernatural history was.

Bonnie tore her eyes away from the girl, pausing before she spoke. "A-a wood nymph." Bonnie lied. She regretted it instantly, but knew that revealing herself as a witch to anyone was a bad idea, including Todd.

"Oh wow." Todd breathed in awe, a dreamy expression appearing in his blue eyes. "That one's _definitely_ new." He mused aloud.

Glancing back towards the stage, Bonnie's heart bled for the captured witch. "Todd, I need your help." Bonnie announced desperately, stepping out of Todd's embrace and peering into his blue eyes.

A worried look appeared on Todd's face. "For what?" Todd inquired, his eyes searching Bonnie's. "Are you in trouble?" Todd leaned in, his voice quieter in case of prying ears.

"No!" Bonnie furiously shook her head. Sneaking another glance at the girl on stage, Bonnie saw that she was still singing, flirtatiously trailing her fingers along the jaw line of a trumpet player. "I need to find my Grandmother. Her name is _Sheila Bennett_." Bonnie told him, her voice wavering. It was up to Bonnie to save the witch and any others that the demons had enslaved.

Todd stared at Bonnie, a sad look appearing on his face. "I don't want to be _that_ guy, Bonnie," Todd began gently. "But is it possible that your Grandmother crossed over and found peace?"

Bonnie took a long breath. "_I'm positive, Todd_." She said with all the confidence she could muster. "She wouldn't leave without me." Bonnie breathed, staring into Todd's eyes.

Todd looked at Bonnie for a moment before nodding his head. "Okay." He said definitively. "I think I know someone who can help. _Don't move_." He told her earnestly, squeezing her hand once before dashing off into the crowd.

Helplessly watching Todd disappear, Bonnie found her gaze drifting towards the slick black countertop of the bar. This time, Bonnie's eyes successfully locked on the man that she had originally intended on seeing that night. A stunned Kol Mikaelson was staring back at her from across the club, his pink mouth momentarily hanging agape. Bonnie watched as an array of strobe lights flickered across Kol's perfectly symmetrical face, finding herself frozen in place and her heart ramming against her rib cage. She was not supposed to be here. Kol's hateful warning echoed in Bonnie's mind: "_If you know what's good for you witch, you won't be gracing Afterlife with your presence ever again. And if you do, you'll have me to answer to_." A normal person would be scared out of their wits, however Bonnie was not normal. She was a witch, and she did not succumb to the will of vampires. Bonnie stared back with all the defiance she could muster. _What are you going to do about it?_ Bonnie thought with a rebellious smirk.

Seamlessly, Kol's look of shock was replaced with anger, his dark eyes setting ablaze and the glass that he held shattering in his hand.

"This is Blue. You probably remember him from out front." Todd began politely, his hand making its way to the small of Bonnie's back and steering her towards Afterlife nightclub's towering bouncer. "If anyone can help you find your Grandmother, it's definitely Blue. He sees everyone that comes in and out of Afterlife." Todd beamed with a smile, confident in the bouncer's abilities. Blue's eyes were as remarkable as Bonnie remembered them, their particular shade comparable to the bluest of oceans. Blue gave Bonnie a timid smile, one that she would never imagine the roughed up and intimidating man to be capable of if she could not see it with her own eyes.

"Thank-you for your help, Blue." Bonnie smiled hurriedly, recalling how helpful Blue had been in explaining the logistics of Afterlife to her. Discreetly glancing towards the crowded bar, Bonnie began to panic when she could no longer see Kol leaning against the counter-top. "My grandmother's name is _Sheila Bennett_, have you ever seen her come into Afterlife before?" Bonnie emphasized her Grandmother's name, knowing that her time was limited.

A strange look appeared on Blue's face, an unreadable expression flashing past his clear blue eyes. "No she hasn't…" Blue trailed off, his booming voice so low that it rattled Bonnie's bones. "What did you say your name was again?" Blue inquired innocently, his eyes surveying Bonnie's face with great interest.

"My name is-" Bonnie began quickly, interrupted by the voice she knew she would be hearing.

"_Beatrice, darling_!" Kol's aristocratic voice exclaimed. He looked different that night, more disheveled than usual, more wild. Kol's brown hair was haphazardly combed to the side, a storm of determination and madness brewing in his dark eyes. Kol's blue dress shirt was tucked into his pinstriped black pants, secured into place by a pair of black suspenders. Dangling loosely from Kol's neck was a half done-up red tie. "I thought we were meeting later tonight?" Kol concluded pleasantly, inserting himself between her and Todd. Pulling Bonnie into his side, Kol gave Todd a suggestive wink. Todd watched on, a hurt look appearing as his blue eyes flickered from Kol to Bonnie.

"What are you doing?!" Bonnie exclaimed in horror, attempting to fling Kol's arm of her shoulders. Kol's grip simply tightened on Bonnie's arm as he pulled her into him further. "My name is-" She continued to speak to Blue, silenced when Kol took her face into his hands and feverishly collided his lips with hers.

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A/N (UPDATED): Sorry it took me a little while to get this expanded author's note up for you my loves! First and foremost thanks so much for reading once again! I am so, so happy that you guys are enjoying Young and Beautiful so far! I absolutely love writing it and am just drowning in my own Kennett shipper tears as I write onwards jhdgjg! So quite a bit was revealed in this chapter regarding Kol who by the way, I just about died writing because he is so complex/amazing/swoon hfjkd! We found out that Kol sort of stalked Bonnie during the events of our first chapter, contemplating whether or not to give her up to the demons as he was told to. Expect a little scene between Kol and the head honcho demon who has been revealed as Balthazar in either the next chapter or the one after that (I'm thinking next)! Bonnie also managed to put together that at least one witch has been enslaved by the demons, and will begin to wonder if perhaps her Grams has been captured as well. Bonnie has also managed to attract the attention of barely-there fairy boy Todd and the part-time creepy black eyed bouncer who remains nameless so far. We will be finding out more about him soon (really soon jhgfjhdfg)! So far I've mapped out where I want the next chapter to go and I hope it doesn't end up being too long since it takes me forever! But yes this leads me into the topic of sneak peeks which if you all would like; I can post on my personal t.u.m.b.l.r jammerbell! Also, if you have any questions regarding the story or want to fangirl with me over Kennett please shoot me a message because I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! Jbhhg! One last thing I forgot, I have decided to include a song at the end (or beginning) of each chapter to kind of embody what happens (or happened). Here is a little list including the songs for the previous four chapters (which have been added to each individual one at the bottom)!

**Chapter One: The Other Side – I will Follow you into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie**

**Chapter Two: Afterlife – Help I'm Alive – Metric (totally works for Bonnie's first time at Afterlife where she suddenly feels alive again due to the club's magic)**

**Chapter Three: We All Have Our Demons - Paralyzer – Finger Eleven (the lyrics were just too perfect! A dubstep song was supposed to be here but whatevs hehe)**

**Chapter Four: There's More to Death – Signs – Bloc Party**

**Chapter Five: A Deal with the Devil - Crazy in Love – Emeli Sande**

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**Responses**: (These will be to reviews for chapter four!) I just need to reiterate like OMFG I can't even, you guys are amazing! Thank you all so much for taking the time to leave your comments and thoughts for me to sob uncontrollably over gfhfgj! I love you all! **Fallen Witch Angel**, thank you so much for your review! I hope you enjoyed Kol's POV as well as our time in Afterlife! It's definitely my absolute favourite part to write! **Lexie**, thanks so much for the review babe! I hope you ended up liking Kol's secret (he has more) and yes he totally let his guard down and went sweet there for a minute but was back to his normal crazy self in no time LOL! Defs WAY more Kennett interaction next chapter (I apologize for the lack this time around) and unfortunately a little more Jeremy (sorry dhgjjgf)! I agree however that Kol should have lived! **SunnyBear513 **thanks so much for the review bb! I defs remember reading your review and totally ghdfgjfdg'ing because you were spot on about Kol (sort of) protecting Bonnie! I totally wish Bonnie had more fans too, she is my absolute fave! Although I love Caroline sometimes I feel like people make her out to be way too perfect which she isn't! Elena however is the absolute worst omfg. **Delenawolves**, thanks so much for the review hun! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and know you will defs love Kol's POV in chapter five! **Asixua**,thanks so much babe! I absolutely love making unique storylines for these types of things! I'm so glad you're liking it! **Ice Moon 14**,thank you SO much hun! I absolutely loved that he put her in a bright red dress, it's totally something he'd do! **Fallendarkangel693**, thank you so much for the review babe! I defs agree with you I hate when stories rush into the love aspect! I love slowing things down and really making them burn for each other and making it believable! Development always helps a story! Hope you enjoyed Kol's POV! **MaloryArcher**, thank you so much for your awesome review babe! I LOVED writing the little Monnie scene in chapter 4! I actually would have supported Monnie in the show if they had decided to go down that direction (which they would of course never because it's Bonnie haha!) I absolutely love fashion so I couldn't help myself including (a billion to come) outfit changes for Bonnie! I would hate to see Kennett in the same clothes repeatedly (or any for that matter) LOL! And right you were, Bonnie headed back to Afterlife! **ZombieSavior** (love your username), thank you so much for the review! I hope you enjoyed Kol's POV and semi finding out what he had up his sleeve hehe! **SteVie'SGirL**,thank**s **so much for the review love! Right you are, something strange is definitely going on in Afterlife, and it's bigger than anyone can imagine! Bonnie is defs trying to run away from her problems, but come next chapter, she will be facing Jeremy! Thanks again babe! **KENNETFAN**, ahhhjfjhf thank you so much! It is you who is perf my love! I defs love Kol's badboy ways as well!** 372259**, thank you so so much hun! I hope you enjoyed Kol's POV and what he is hiding hehe! I totally agree about making Jeremy unbelievably mean!It makes no sense when I read things like that! Thanks so much again for your kind words hun and hope you enjoy the next chapter! **hopeless637** thanks so much for the review love! I'm loving the Kennett interaction so far as well! Expect a little bit of Caroline as well as Elena next chapter! **Guest**, thank you so much! **artemis-golden-arrow**, thanks so much babe! **Azaaw**, thanks so much love! **Summer1234**, I love them too! Thanks so much! **SpringOfMay **thank you so much babe omg you're making me blush! **UltimateLoveStorys**,thank youso much hun! I hope you enjoy the update! Guest, thank you so so much love! Hope you enjoy the newest chapter! Gloomren, thank you so much! Kol is definitely not an easy character to write since he is so unpredictable! Hope you enjoy the update! THANK YOU EVERYONE! xo


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